Jesus and His Enemies

Every now and then humanity stands on the precipice of making a radical choice. Jesus confronted this dynamic and chose love over violence. Humanity got off to a good start in attempting to follow his lead but got sidetracked along the way once we had to take up our own crosses in order to follow him. We fell back on the old method of scapegoating to get a reprieve from the tensions inherent in the call to love unconditionally. Inch by inch we crawled down that old path only to find ourselves once again at a having to make a radical choice. Whether it be our environment, our politics or our religions, we face existential issues. Like the authors of our gospels we need to find a way to be together in love not violence. Each composed their texts to address the needs of their communities. I find myself wondering how we can harvest from Fr Beck’s treasure trove of insights in order to re-enter the gospels in a way that can help us find the courage to step back from the edge of the cliff we find ourselves on now. Maybe, having exhausted all the shortcuts we could devise, we may need to say with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Jn. 6 68.

Beck, Robert R. Jesus and His Enemies: Narrative Conflict in the Four Gospels. Orbis Books, Maryknoll NY. 2017